Do You Really Think I Don't Care?
by Zenelia
Summary: Tonks leaves something at Grimmauld Place, and Remus shows up at her door to return it. Confused emotions, messy sitting rooms, and clumsiness all lead to something major. Rated for innuendo/language.


**A/N:** So I spent the past day writing this. It wouldn't leave me alone! I wasn't going to post it until tomorrow, but I can't sleep, so ya'll get a treat. (Does that rhyme, or am I really delusional?) Anyways. . . My first _real_ attempt at RemusTonks. I dunno if I got it right, or if they're in character, so some feedback would be great. Enjoy!

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Tonks sat on her couch, looking about in a very depressed manor. She had just got back from Grimmauld Place, and therefore was even more dejected than usual.

You see, she was in love with a rather handsome werewolf that goes by the name of Remus Lupin. He was in denial, of course, but she was sure he had feelings for her, too. There were signs. The way he looked at her when he thought no one was looking, the way he always jumped up to help her whenever she fell (which was often, indeed), the way he always got nervous-looking whenever she wandered too close.

Yes, she was sure he felt _something_ at the very least.

But, her latest excursion into Grimmauld Place did not help her mood any. He was living there with Sirius, as he was bouncing around so much for the Order, he didn't bother having his own house. So of course he was there this evening when she visited at Molly's request that she stay for dinner after the Order meeting. And he had the nerve and audacity to completely ignore her existence!

Just thinking on it lowered her mood even more. She sighed, and got up to get her cloak so she could fish her wand out of the pockets. She dug around, to no avail.

_What? Where is it? I need my wand! _She fretted internally. Realized she was alone, she groaned aloud, "Well that's just fabulous. Now I have to go back _there_ and get it!"

She was about to pull her cloak on when there was a knock at her door. Puzzled, she dropped her cloak and when to answer it.

"Hullo?" She asked as she opened the door.

Then she gasped. There stood none other than the object her affections, Remus Lupin. "Remus?"

"Erm, yes. Hello, Nymphadora. You left your wand at Grimmauld Place, and I reckoned you'd need it, so I brought it over. . ." He stood at the door awkwardly, not sure if he was invited in.

"Oh, thank you. I was about to head back over there to get it. Won't you come in?" Tonks grimaced slightly at her first name, but let it slide. She stepped aside as he came in, and shut the door behind him.

Standing at the door, she realized just how much a mess her flat was. _Ah! And to think, Remus is seeing this! _She rushed forward to at least move some of the clothes off the couch, but she lost her footing, and was propelled forward into Remus' back.

"Gah!" Remus said as he lost _his_ footing on something-or-other on Dora's floor, and ended up face first into her couch.

"Oh, Remus, I'm so sorry!" She hastened to apologize.

Remus, however, found it rather amusing. So much so, in fact, that he burst out laughing heartily.

Tonks did not find this at all funny. "Why are you laughing?"

Remus' laughter died down to light chuckling, and he was able to say, "Because it's just so like you to fall on the clutter littering your floor and go flying into your guest."

"Oh." Tonks looked around again. "It's not _that_ messy."

"Says you. Say, what's this I . . ." Remus held up a pink, lacy pair of Tonks' knickers, which he had landed on when they fell.

That had to be the most embarrassing thing Tonks had in her entire house. And he went and landed on them! Her eyes went wide. "I'm so sorry! I haven't put away the laundry yet!" She pushed a strand of mousy brown hair out of her eyes, and lunged forward to snatch the underwear from Remus' hands.

This, however, did not help things. For as she lunged forward, she slipped and landed in a very compromising position over a very red Remus Lupin.

"Oompf!" She exclaimed as her head landed on his nice-feeling chest.

Remus took the initiative and just threw the . . . _thing_ over the side of her couch, and out of sight. Then, he looked down to where Dora still lay on his chest, her legs also around him in a very suggestive way, thanks to her clumsiness. Oddly, he didn't think it a bad thing, like he probably should've. He thought it felt nice, in both his chest and his nether-regions.

Tonks finally pulled her head up, a disgruntled expression on her face. "May I have my wand back now, please?"

Remus blinked. "Oh, right. Of course." He carefully maneuvered around her, and delved into his pockets where he had stowed both his and her wands. _That sounds rather nice. . . NO! Don't think like that, Moony! You're a werewolf, you can't possible harbor feelings for someone like _her._ She doesn't deserve you!_ Remus thought. He shook his head minutely, and handed Tonks her wand.

"Thanks." Tonks said, struggling to get up.

"Do you need some help?"

"Possibly. But I can manage." Tonks shifted around him, and used her couch to pull herself up. She straightened her shirt, shoved her wand in her pocket, and sat there.

Remus sat up, and shoved a pile of clothes out of the way so he could move to sit down next to her. "What's wrong? Everything was fine just a moment ago."

"Maybe to you!" Tonks had to refrain from yelling. She was frustrated with Remus for being such a stubborn arse, and not realizing how much she loved him, nor how much his being here—in _her_ house, having been knocked over by her and having held up a pair of her most embarrassingly girly knickers—affected her. He could at least spare her feelings a bit and . . . Well, she didn't want to finished that thought. In truth, he was being right nice, and she was acting all weird. But hey, a person in love does odd things.

"Nymphadora, are you okay?" Remus was concerned.

"Yes—actually, no, I'm not. And it's all your damn fault!" Tonks got up and headed towards the kitchen, leaving Remus on her couch, rather confused. "And don't call me 'Nymphadora,' Remus Lupin!"

Remus sat there for a moment, utterly baffled by Nymp—Tonks' outburst, before he realized he'd better go and talk to her. Just as he was getting up, he heard a series of crashes, a "Bugger!", and what sounded like a door—possibly a cupboard door—slam shut.

Remus hurried to make his way through the maze that was Nymphadora's sitting room floor to the kitchen. "Dora, are you okay?" He asked worriedly, carefully opening the door, and dreading whatever destruction he might find.

He found her on the floor, a bunch of plates, cups, and bowls shattered about her. "Are you okay?" He repeated.

Tonks stood up, ignoring the minor cuts on her arms, her feet crunching on the broken glass. "I'm fine!" She hissed, turning towards the table where her wand lay. "It's not like I've lived here on my own for four years or anything. I know how to take care of myself! And why do you care, anyways? It's not like you've paid any attention to my well-being at all recently!"

She grabbed her wand, gave it a hearty wave, and suddenly pieces of glass where flying every which way as her dishware began to repair and put itself away.

Remus had stood there motionless as he listened to her rant, and then watched her 'take care of herself.' _Does she really think that? Have I been _that_ much of an arse? _He shook his head, his expression melancholy.

Nymphadora had taken out a first aid kit, that had the normal household healing potions—ones for minor cuts, scrapes, a small bottle of Skele-grow, and a few basic antidotes. She took out a tube of paste that would heal all the cuts she had just gotten on her arms, and take away any scars they were to have left.

Just as she opened the tube and was about to apply it to her arms, she found it being snatched out of her hands. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?"

Remus didn't say anything, but instead started putting the paste on some of her more major cuts, then working to the smaller ones. When he was done, he took the lid out of Dora's hand, and screwed it back on. Then he leant back, his waist resting on one of her chairs.

Tonks looked down. "Er. Thank you, I suppose." Her pale face flushed red.

"No problem," Remus said, his eyes boring into hers. He was trying to figure out how to word it.

She looked up. "Will you quit all that staring? It's rather rude, you know. And I _used_ to think you were a rather nice, un-rude person, but now you're just another heartless male who doesn't care what he does to innocent girls who fall for him." Tonks had almost, _almost,_ played the 'another heartless werewolf' card, but she wasn't _that_ mad.

Remus didn't stop staring, but he did come closer, and put his hand on her face. If she hadn't been taken off guard, he wouldn't have gotten away with putting his forehead against hers. "Do you honestly think I don't care?"

Tonks blinked. "Do you not?" She was a bit dazed by his being so close.

Remus decided to let his actions speak for him. He closed the small gap between them so that their lips met. It was short, and sweet. Tonks was the one who pulled back, and it was much too soon for either of them.

Remus looked into her eyes, imploringly. She seemed to at least be tearing up. "What's wrong?"

"You! You can't go and do stuff like this, and then act all cold because you're 'too old' or 'not right' or saying something like 'It can't work because of what I am.' It just doesn't add up, Remus!" Now the tears were falling, much to her frustration. She was an Auror! Not a crier.

"Shh. Don't cry." Remus said, rather lamely, as he tried to reach up and wipe the tears from her face. She smacked his hand away, and he backed up.

_I kiss her and she goes and does something like this. And yet, she wonders why things aren't working out._ Remus thought, rather dejectedly. He audibly sighed.

"You go and make me cry, and then you say don't? You make no sense! You act like you like me, then you're cold and distant. Make up your mind, Remus!" She walked over to her sink, and summoned a glass from her cupboard. She filled it with water, and took a swig.

"I have made up my mind. I made up my mind a while ago, actually. I just never got a chance to . . . tell you." Remus said, quietly.

"Come again?" Tonks had calmed some. She had at least gained some of her manners.

Remus took a deep breath, and started pacing about the room in his nervous energy. "I _have_ made up my mind. That's just the thing! Some people, though, seem to be under the impression that all Gryffindors, current or former, are brimming with courage and are infallible. That's not the case! We get nervous, or reluctant, or scared too, just like everyone else. I just wasn't ready to admit it."

Tonks was a bit suspicious now. This wasn't normal Remus behavior, and she knew it. "Wasn't ready to admit what, exactly?"

Remus stopped his pacing. He stared her straight in the eye, and gathered the courage that made him a Gryffindor. "I love you. Okay? There, I said it, and you can do with that information what you will. I'm leaving. I'll see myself out."

Tonks set her glass down slowly, her mind working in overdrive. _He loves me? When did this happen? Wait, Tonks, you shouldn't question it! You should just go after him!_ With this revelation, she ran into the sitting room as fast as she could without falling.

"Oompf!" Apparently she overshot her momentum, as she rammed into Remus' back again. Which, in turn, sent him sprawling forward onto her floor. Luckily for them both, there weren't any embarrassing articles of clothing hanging around there, as it was by the door.

"You know, when they say falling head over heels for someone, that doesn't mean actually, physical falling." Remus said, turning a bit so he could look at her.

"Who says I fell on purpose?" Tonks said, not realizing the double meaning until after she said it. (She meant it in the way that she accidentally fell on him again.)

"No one." Remus picked her up, and set her beside him so he could sit up. "Is there a reason you came running after me?"

"Yes. I wanted to give you something." Tonks had to resist wanting to scoot closer; not yet, at least.

"What's that?"

"This." Dora leaned over and kissed Remus full on the lips. He was frozen for a moment, then fell into it.

When they had broken apart, both were shocked, but rather pleased. "Wow," Tonks murmured.

"Wow's right," Remus replied.

They just sat there for a bit, both trying to figure out what they were feeling. Tonks was happy, and sure that she had gotten through to him at last. Remus was also happy, a bit confused, but just deciding to roll with it. He was tired of fighting himself for happiness.

"This means we're together, right?" Tonks asked, breaking the silence. She needed that confirmation.

"I would say so, yes." Remus smiled.

Dora about swelled with happiness, and as she did so her hair went from the mousy brown it had been for a few weeks to the vivid bubblegum pink that was her signature trademark.

"Your hair's pink again!" Remus laughed a bit.

"I guess that's just the affect you have on me," Tonks said coyly.

Remus leaned in and kissed her again. Just as they broke apart, something came flying through Tonks' window.

It was a silver patronus, in the shape of a giant dog; the same dog Sirius turned into.

"_Mooooonnyyy! When are you coming home? I need food!" _Sirius' voice came from the patronus.

Remus hit the heal of his hand to his forehead. "I'm sorry. He can't feed himself, and Molly's already left Headquarters to go back to the Burrow. I should go."

"Well alright. Besides, we'll see each other at Headquarters tomorrow." Tonks managed to get herself up without falling, and she stood there waiting for Remus.

"True." Remus stood up as well. He grabbed her hand and pulled her close. "I'm quite glad that I offered to bring you back your wand."

"I am, too. See you tomorrow?" Even though she knew she would, she felt that she had to say it. It was part of the whole girlfriend thing.

"Of course. Goodnight, Nymphadora." Instead of kissing her on the lips, Remus planted one on her forehead, lingering just a moment.

"Goodnight, Remus." Tonks said, as he grabbed his cloak, gave her a smile, and left.

She was just a bit dazed. _I've been asked to be Remus Lupin's girlfriend,_ kept running through her head. Then, _I guess my unrequited love-induced depression is over._ She ecstatically ran over to her couch—only bumping her shin on the coffee table once—to sort through her laundry so she'd know what she could wear tomorrow. Even if she knew she would only pick out her favorite Weird Sisters t-shirt and a pair of tattered jeans.

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**A/N:** So what'd you think? Good, bad, you're-absolutely-delusional-and-shouldn't-be-writing? I hope you liked it. Reviews make me happy :]

-Zenelia*Sky


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